Mechanical musical instrument.



. No. 840,259. PATENTED JAN. 1, 1907.

B. SOHNABEL & W. W. LAWSON.

MECHANIUALMUSIGAL INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED $313.21, 1906.

' sical instrument, and 2 the keyboard, by

To all whom it may concern: :Be it known that we, EDMUND SOHNABEL,

as, for instance, b

them when the instrument-isbeing played appear in the specification andbe pointed 35' tion of so much of a keyboard musical instru- UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND SUHNABEL AND WILLIAM W. LAWSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TOTHE AEOLIAN COMPANY. A CORPORATION OF CON- NECTICUT.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL lNSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1907.

a resident of the borough of Bronx, and WILLIAM W. LAWSON, a resident ofthe borough ofManhattan, city, county, and State of New York, citizensof the United States, have invented certain new and useful 1m provementsin Mechanical Muslcal Instruments, of which thefollowing is aspecification; o

Our invention relates to musical 'instru-. ments provided with akeyboard and adapted to be operated manually or-mechanically means-of. aperforated music-sheet. In t e mechanical operation of the instrument itis necessary,,or at least advantageous, to provide manual handles forcontrolling expression, ftempo, and the like. It isnecessary that theseshould be placed Where they can-,be conveniently manipulated' by theoperator, and it is advantageous that when the instrument is beingplayed manually fthese handles should be hidden from view. The object ofour in vention is to'provide a convenient location for these .handlesand means for covering manually. .-A further object of the invention isto utilize such cover as a hand-rest for the operator when theinstrument is being played. mechanically. Y

Still further objects of the invention will out in the-claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is vafront eleva ment as is necessary to showourinvention. Figs. "2- and '3 are vertical sections on the lanes 2 2and 3 3, respectively, of Fig. 1. Fig, 4 is a vertical section of adetailed portion of the invention. -1- designates the-casing of akeyboardmuwhich we designate 'the forward exposed portion of the keyswhich are struck by the operator when the instrument is manually played.3 4 designate the .portions of the fall-1 board, the portion 3 beingpivoted to the l instrument at 5 and the portion 4 pivoted to lmechanical operation of the instrument."

Pivoted at 5 is a second movable portion 9, adapted when in its closedposition, as shown in Fig. 3, to abut against the face of the fall-boardportion 3 so as to cover the recess 7 and-conceal the handles 8. When inits lowered positionfas shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it substantially coversthe keyboard 2 and forms a convenient hand-rest for the operator inmanipulating the handles 8. As a meansof securing the movable portion 9in its closed position and of causing it to move with the fall-boardwhen this=is closed, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, we provide in theortion 9 a latch 10, the inner end of whic engages with a plate 11, letinto a recess 12 in the fall-board portion 3. The knob or-handle 13,which forms the outer portion of the latch 10, is adapted to'res tfiiponthe key-blocks l4, placed at the ends of the keyboard Z'for supportingthe portion 9 in its .lowered position. The operation of the device Willbe clearly understood from the drawings; where it will be seen that whenthe instrument is to be V manually played the latches 10 on the board 9engage with the plate 11 to hold the board in its u right position; Whenit is desired'to play t e instrument mechanically a slight, I

raising of the knobs 13 detaches the latches from their engagement Withthe plate 11 and permits the board 9 to be lowered to the posi tion.shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the knobs 13 resting on thekey-blocks 14, in which position the board furnishes a convenienthand-rest for the manipulation of the levers 8 and at, the sametime actsto revent any accidental dep ssion of any of t e keys I of the keyboard2.

It is obvious that certain mechanical changes maybe made in the devicewithout departing from the invention.

What we claim is 1. In a mechanical musical instrument, a

keyboard, a handle at the rear of said keyboard, and a movable portionfor alternately covering said handle and said keyboard.

2. In a mechanical musical instrument, a

. keyboard, a handle at the rear of said keysaid keyboard and saidhandle, and a second portion moyable to cover said handle when saidfall-board is in it s open position.

5. In a mechanical musical instrument, a keyboard, a handle at the rearof said keyboard, a fall-board movable to uncover both said keyboard andsaid handle and recessed to receive said handle, and a'second' portionmovable to cover said handle when said tallboard is in its openposition.

6. In a mechanical musical instrument, a keyboard,-keyblocks, a handleat the rear of said keyboard, and a movable portion forming in itsraised position a cover for said key board and in its lowered positionresting on said key-blocks and forming an approximately horizontalhand-rest.

7. In a mechanical musical instrument, a keyboard, a handle at therear'of sa'id keyboard, a fall-board movable to uncover both saidkeyboard and saidhandle, and a second.

-movable portion pivoted for movement with tion movable to cover saidhandle when said fall-board is in its open posii'ion,and means forengaging said movable portion with said fall-board.

9. In a mechanical musical instrument, a

keyboard, a handleat the rear of said keyboard, a tall-board movable touncover both said keyboard and said handle, a second portion movable tocover said handle when said fall-board is in its open position, a latchin said keyboard, and an engaging portion in saidfall-board for saidlatch.

10. In a'mechanical musical instrument, a keyboard, key-blocks,- ahandle at the-rear of said keyboard, a fall-boardmovable to uncover bothsaid keyboard and said handle, a second portion forming in its raisedposition a cover for said handle and in its lowered position an aproximately horizontal hand-rest above'said ieyboard, latches in saidsecond portion, and engagingportions for said latches in saidtall-board, said latches being provided at their free ends with knobsfor resting on said key-blocks when said portion is in its loweredposition. y

In testimony whereof'we have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing Witnesses.

EDMUND SCHNABEL. WILLIAM W. LAWSON. Witnesses:

HENRY W. HAROLD,

M. DE GROVE.

